Method of treating with therapeutic composition comprising photoactive compound

ABSTRACT

A therapeutic composition derived from a pre-activated photoactive compound and a conveyor for destroying tumor or other pathogenic biological contaminants infecting animal body tissues. The conveyor can either be a matrix support or an antibody. The activation of the photoactive compound to produce the pre-activated photoactive compound is carried out by the use of an activating agent. The pre-activated photoactive compound retains its therapeutic activity subsequent to activation. A method for preparing such a therapeutic composition is disclosed. Methods for treating animal body tissue, either outside the body or inside the body, infected with tumors or other pathogenic biological contaminants are disclosed.

This application is a divisional of U.S. application Ser. No. 07/509,036 filed on Apr. 13, 1990, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,177,073 which in turn, is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 07/252,256, filed Sep. 30, 1988, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,091,385, and incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to therapeutic compositions derived from pre-activated photoactive compounds and more particularly to compositions, methods of preparation, and uses for destroying tumor cells and other pathogenic biological contaminants in body tissues. One therapeutic composition of the present invention includes a conveyor having affixed to it a pre-activated photoactive compound for the treatment of an infected body tissue. The conveyor can be either an immobilizing component, such as a matrix support, or a targeting component, such as an antibody.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is an ancient concept and has been described and utilized over 30 centuries ago. The therapy was used in ancient times for the treatment of vitiligo in India, China and Egypt. In the last century, ultraviolet (UV) radiation was successfully used in the treatment of lupus vulgaris, a type of skin tuberculosis endemic in the Scandinavian countries.

PDT usually involves the administration of one or more photoactive agents to the subject to be treated followed by exposing the specific target location or target organ of the subject to light. Thus, for example, upon illumination, Methylene Blue has been used to kill Trichoderma Viride, a common fungus, outside the body. Similarly, acridine orange, as well as Methylene Blue, kills blood fluke Schistosoma mansoni, in vitro, upon exposure to light. P. S. Lacaz and J. C. E. Holanda, Bol. Acad. Nac. Med. (Brazil) 145: 43 (1974), Chem Abstr. 86:134166. Likewise, larvae of Anopheles mosquitoes are killed by the simultaneous exposure to photoactive dyes and light. A Barbieri, Accion fotodynamica de la luz. Riv. Malariol, 7:456 (1928); H. Schildmacher, Biol. Zentr. 69:468 (1950).

PDT has been used to neutralize externally the toxicity of many snake venom without significantly altering their antigenicity so that they can still be used to manufacture antibodies for the snake venom W. F. Kocholaty, J. C. Goetz, et al., Toxicon 5:153 (1968). Similar results have been reported for some animal viruses. Thus, utilizing similar technique, vaccines, including influenza vaccines, have been prepared. J. D. Spikes and R. Livingston, Adv. Radiat. Biol. 3:29 (1969); C. V. Hanson, in "Medical Virology," Proc. Int'l Symp. 2:45, Elsevier (1983). Likewise, influenza or encephalomyelitis viruses externally added to contaminate human blood plasma are inactivated by light in the presence of toluidine blue dye without significant alteration to the properties of plasma proteins. F. Heinmets, J. R. Kingston and C. W. Hiatt, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research Report 53-55:1 (1955).

Extracorporeal PDT, utilizing light and psoralen dyes, has also been reported for the treatment of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. Psoralen dyes in the presence of light have also been used for the treatment of vitiligo. T. B. Fitzpatrick and M. A. Pathak, J. Invest. Dermatil. 32:229 (1959); A. V. Benedetto, Cutis 20:469 (1977). Skin tumors have been treated with the simultaneous exposure of the tumors to both eosin dyes and light. H. V. Tappeiner and A. Jesionek, Munch. Me. Wochenschr. 50:2042 (1903).

In the early 40's, it was observed that hematoporphyrin derivative (hereinafter Hpd) preferentially accumulated in tumors and lymph nodes. H. Auler and G. Banzer, Z. Krebforsch. 53:65 (1942). As a result, methods have been developed to capitalize on the unique property of Hpd as a tumor marker in the detection and localization of different forms of cancer cells. E. G. King, et al., Hematoporphyrin Derivative as a Tumor Marker in the Detection and Localization of Pulmonary Malignancy, in Recent Results in Cancer Research. Vol. 82, Springer-Verlag, Berlin-Heidelberg, 1982, 90; R. D. Benson, et al., Mayo Clinic Proc. 57:548 (1982).

Although the unique photodynamic properties of Hpd, as well as its unique preferential affinity toward tumor cells, had long been known, it was more than half a century later that the potential of using Hpd to selectively destroy tumor cells was explored. In 1966, Lipson and co-workers reported treating one case of recurrent breast cancer using a combination of Hpd and light. M. S. Lipson, M. J. Gray and E. J. Baldes, Proc. 9th Intl. Cancer Congr., p. 393 (1966). The use of light in the presence of Hpd to selectively destroy tumor cells in human has been reviewed by Dougherty et. al. T. J. Dougherty, et al., Photoradiation Therapy: Clinical and Drug Advances. In Porphyrin Photosensitization, D. Kessel and T. J. Dougherty, Eds. Plenum Press, N.Y., pp. 3-13, 1983.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,649,151 teaches the preparation and purification of porphyrin-type drugs. The patent also teaches the diagnosis and destruction of cancer cells with porphyrin-type drugs. In treating humans or other mammals with the drugs, light must be irradiated on the cancer cells in such a position as to uniformly illuminate the cancer cells. When cancer cells, having the porphyrin-type drugs associated therewith, are illuminated with light, the drugs are activated and thus causing the destruction of the cancer cells by a mechanism not completely understood yet. The patent also discloses several apparatus for transmitting light to different parts of the body.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,614,190 discloses that while a dye such as Hpd is being held within the tumor cells in the body, the activation of the dye is accomplished by pulsed electromagnetic radiation.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,727,027 teaches the inactivation of pathogenic biological microorganisms by simultaneous treatment with furocoumarins and a long wavelength ultraviolet light under conditions which limit the availability of oxygen and other reactive species.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,684,521 teaches a chemical agent for the reduction of the population of a selected blood constituent having receptor sites. The invention uses a photoactive agent physically incorporate within or chemically bound to a carrier molecule. The carrier molecule has a strong affinity for the receptor sites on the blood constituent. When activated by Ultraviolet ("UV") radiation, the photoactive agent bound to the carrier molecule interferes with the metabolism of the selected blood constituent.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,612,322 discloses a method and system for externally treating human blood to reduce the functioning lymphocyte population in the blood system. According to the method, blood is treated with a photoactive agent and simultaneously irradiated with UV radiation outside the body.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,708,715 teaches a removable UV light array assembly for use in a patient system wherein photoactivatable agents, in contact with patient blood cells, are irradiated extracorporeally and then returned to the patient.

Cyanine dyes are members of another class of dyes that are selectively retained by tumor cells and certain vises. For example, Merocyanine 540, (commonly referred to as MC 540) has been used for light-induced tumor and viral chemotherapy. K. S. Gulliya, J. L. Matthews, J. W. Fay, and R. M. Dowben, Proc. SPIE-Intl. Soc. Opt. Engineering 84f7:163-65 (1987); K. S. Gulliya, S. Pervaiz, D. G. Nealon, and D. V. VanderMeulen, Proc. SPIE-Intl. Soc. Opt. Engineering 907:34-36 (1988); F. Sieber, Photochem. and Photobiol. 46:1035-42 (1987).

The emphasis on using a photoactive compound or dye as the photoactivating or light-activating compound in photoradiation of tumors or viruses is based on two important properties of the photoactive compound or dye. Firstly, the photoactive compound or dye is preferentially accumulated and retained to a higher degree in or around the target tumor or virus than in the surrounding normal body tissues. Secondly, after being retained in or around the tumor or virus, the photoactive compound or dye is properly photoactivated causing the destruction of tumor cells or virus with which the dye has associated. The destruction of tumor cells or virus occurs when they are simultaneously exposed to the dye and light of a suitable wavelength. The generally accepted mechanism of cell kill by photoactivated dye is that when activated by appropriate light, the dye undergoes an energy transfer process with oxygen to form a reactive singlet oxygen, which subsequently oxidizes and kills the cell or virus to which the dye has attached or associated as a substrate. K. R. Weishaupt, C. J. Gomer, and T. J. Dougherty, Cancer Res. 36:2326-29 (1976); F. Sieber, Photochem. and Photobiol. 46:1035-42 (1987).

The life-time of the extremely reactive singlet oxygen is extremely short, less than a fraction of microsecond. Hence, the currently accepted method of practicing PDT is to first let the photoactive compound bind to the target tumor cells or viruses, and then activate the bound photoactive compound. Thus, when the reactive singlet oxygen is generated from photoactivation, the target tumor cells or viruses that are in the close proximity to the activated dye and oxygen are destroyed. The normal cells do not preferentially accumulate the photoactive compound, hence generally very little reactive singlet oxygen is generated in their close proximity. Accordingly, the normal cells are generally spared from destruction by the photoactivated photoactive compound. T. J. Dougherty, et at., Photoradiation Therapy: Clinical and Drug Advances. In Porphyrin Photosensitization, D. Kessel and T. J. Dougherty, Eds. Plenum Press, N.Y., pp. 3-13, 1983.

It has been reported that dye such as MC 540 will undergo considerable photobleaching when being irradiated with a light source with the wavelength from about 320 to 600 nm. After about 70 minutes, the dye was decomposed as a result of direct oxidation and/or reaction with lipid peroxides. B. Kalyanaraman, J. B. Feix, F. Sieber, J. P. Thomas, and A. W. Girotti, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., U.S.A. 84:2999-3003 (1987). Similarly, irradiation of an aqueous solution of MC 540 with white light fitted with a 360-nm cutoff filter results in a colorless solution in about 20 min. N. S. Dixit and R. A. Mackay, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 105:2928-29 (1983). Other cyanine dyes also undergo photobleaching in solution. O. Valdes-Aguilera, L. Cincotta, J. Foley, and I. E. Kochevar, Photochem. Photobiol. 45:337-44 (1987). Consequently, samples of dye solution are always prepared freshly and in the dark.

As can be seen from the discussion above, PDT has one major limitation in practical utility, that is, in order to eradicate from the animal body the tumor cells or vises on which the photoactive compound or dye resides, such cells or virus must be exposed to an appropriate light source. Thus, to achieve the desired killing, one must find, if at all possible, the target tumor cells which have preferentially accumulated the photoactive compound, and then one must irradiate these target cells inside the animal body with a light source directly. If the tumor, such as solid tumor, is large enough and localized that it can been seen by naked eyes, then the dye can be injected into the tumor itself. There is still the problem of introducing light into the inner portions of the tumor. Moreover, during metastasis, the tumor cells or viruses have spread to other parts of the body and are no longer localized. The dilemma after the introduction of photoactive compound to the patient is: Where should the irradiation be given?. Even assuming that the malignant tumor cells can be localized and found in one particular body tissue or organ, many body tissues and internal organs where tumor cells or viruses have proliferated are nonetheless inaccessible to any light.

Another major limitation to PDT is that the light energy itself, in particular the ultraviolet light, is toxic and can be mutagenic to normal cells as well normal tissues. Thus, many photoactive compounds that can be activated best by ultraviolet light cannot be used in the clinic because the ultraviolet light required for the activation of the compounds would be exceedingly harmful to the surrounding normal tissues and the normal cells.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the present invention, new therapeutic compositions are provided. The new therapeutic compositions comprise a pre-activated photoactive compound affixed to a conveyor. The conveyor can be either a matrix support or a target-specific antibody. Prior to being brought into contact with the tissue to be treated, a sufficient amount of an activating agent is introduced into the photoactive compound affixed therein to produce a therapeutic agent or pre-activated photoactive compound. The photoactive compound used is characterized in that it contains at least one chromophore and that it is susceptible to activation by an activating agent. The matrix support is characterized as being relatively inert and biocompatable; and the antibody is characterized as being capable of specifically binding to a certain antigen.

One embodiment of the therapeutic composition of the invention is characterized in that subsequent to activation, the pre-activated photoactive compound or therapeutic agent generated therein is still capable of interacting with and destroying or destructing tumors or other pathogenic biological contaminants infecting body tissues; and that subsequent to activation, the therapeutic agent contained therein is, at effective dosages, relatively non-toxic to normal tissues or normal cells, and that, subsequent to activation, its therapeutic properties are retained for at least momentarily for a time sufficient to destruct or destroy tumor cells or other pathogenic biological contaminants.

Alternatively, after being brought into contact with the tissue to be treated, an additional amount of an activating agent is introduced into the therapeutic composition such that the photoactive compound affixed therein is activated further to produce a therapeutic agent.

When a matrix support is used as the conveyor in the therapeutic composition, after treatment, the treated body tissues can be separated from the therapeutic composition by physical means, such as filtration, centrifugation and magnetic separation. When the conveyor is an antibody, the therapeutic composition will hind to a specific antigen.

The present invention also provides an efficient and economical method for the preparation of pre-activated therapeutic compositions for the in vitro and/or in vivo destruction of malignant tumor cells or other pathogenic biological contaminants infecting body tissues. Broadly, the method comprises the steps of physically attaching, or chemically coupling, a photoactive compound to a conveyor to produce an article and then introducing a sufficient amount of activating agent to the article such that the photoactive compound affixed therein is activated and subsequently capable of interacting with, and destructing or destroying, tumors or other pathogenic biological contaminants infecting the body tissues.

The present invention further provides an in vitro method of treating body tissues, which are infected with tumors or other pathogenic biological contaminants. The method comprises the steps of first activating a photoactive compound affixed to a matrix support to produce a therapeutic composition and then introducing the therapeutic composition containing the pre-activated photoactive compound to such body tissues.

The present invention also provides an in vivo method of treating an animal, including human. The method comprises the steps of first activating the photoactive compound affixed to an antibody to produce a therapeutic composition and then administering the therapeutic composition into the body of animal which is infected with tumors or other pathogenic biological contaminants.

Thus, depending on the type of conveyor used, the method of treatment can be carried out either inside or outside the animal body, such as the human body.

The present invention also provides an in vitro method of treating body tissues which are infected with tumors or other pathogenic biological contaminants having an affinity to the photoactive compound. The method comprises the step of introducing a matrix support having a photoactive compound affixed thereto to an infected body tissue. Thereafter, the photoactive compound is activated by an activating agent to produce a therapeutic agent so that the therapeutic agent produced can interact with and destruct or destroy the tumors or other pathogenic biological contaminants.

The present invention further provides therapeutic compositions containing therapeutic agents cytotoxic to target tumor cells and other pathogenic biological contaminants without entering target cells and other contaminants.

Accordingly, an object of the invention is to provide therapeutic compositions containing at least a pre-activated photoactive compound affixed to a conveyor.

Another object of the invention is to provide therapeutic compositions containing at least a pre-activated photoactive compound affixed to a magnetic matrix support.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide therapeutic compositions containing at least a pre-activated photoactive compound affixed to an antibody.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide therapeutic compositions, containing at least a pre-activated photoactive compound coupled to a matrix support, separable from body tissues after the tissues have been treated with the mixtures.

A still further object of the invention is to provide therapeutic compositions, containing a pre-activated photoactive compound coupled to a matrix support, separable by magnetic means from body tissues after the tissues have been treated with the mixtures.

A further object of the invention is to provide therapeutic compositions which have been pre-activated and which are subsequently capable of interacting with and destructing, controlling, or destroying tumors or other pathogenic biological contaminants infecting body tissues of an animal.

Another object of the invention is to provide therapeutic compositions which have been pre-activated and which are capable of interacting with and destructing or destroying tumors or other pathogenic biological contaminants infecting body tissues of an animal, such that no further activation with a possibly harmful activating agent or agents is required.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide therapeutic compositions, containing at least a photoactive compound affixed to a conveyor, capable of being activated by an activating agent in the presence of body tissues infected with tumors or other pathogenic biological contaminants.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a method for activating a photoactive compound affixed to a conveyor before treating infected body tissues, thus eliminating the necessity of post-activating the compound in the presence of target body tissues.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a method for the treatment of body tissues inside or outside the body of an animal, such as human, infected with malignant tumors or other pathogenic biological contaminants having an affinity to the activated photoactive compound or dye.

A still further object of the invention is to provide pre-activated therapeutic compositions containing therapeutic agents which are selective toward tumor cells or other pathogenic biological contaminants.

A yet still further object of the invention is to provide a method of producing the above-identified pre-activated therapeutic compositions.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a method of pre-activating the above-identified therapeutic compositions with radiation energy, electromagnetic energy, electrical energy, or chemicals.

A yet further object of the invention is to provide a method and therapeutic compositions for providing therapeutic agents capable of selectively adhering to or associated with target cells for photodynamic, chemical, or electrical action in conjunction with other agents.

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 shows where matrix support can couple to carboxyl containing unactivated 3-carboxymethyl-5-carboxymethylamino-2-4-(3-carboxymethyl-5-carboxymethylamino-2-benzothiazolinylidene) methylbuta-1,3-dien-1-yl]benzothiazolium chloride as indicated by four vertical lines. The matrix support is a sepharose having free amino groups.

FIG. 2 shows where matrix support can couple to carboxyl containing unactivated 3-carboxymethyl-2-[4-(3-carboxymethyl-2-benzothiazolinylidene) methylbuta-1,3-dien-1-yl]benzothiazolium bromide as indicated by two vertical lines. The matrix support is a sepharose having free amino groups.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In accordance with the above noted and other objects of the invention, therapeutic compositions containing pre-activated photoactive compounds or dyes affixed to a conveyor. The conveyor can either be an immobilizing component or a targeting component. These therapeutic compositions contain pre-activated photoactive compounds or therapeutic agents having preference for the undesirable cells or pathogenic biological contaminants. The pre-activation of the photoactive compound can be achieved prior to or after the step of affixation. These therapeutic compositions have the following desirable properties: (1) They contain therapeutic agents derived from photoactive compounds that possess numerous desirable properties as detailed below; (2) these photoactive compounds are generally chemically coupled to either a relatively inert solid matrix support or a target-specific antibody; (3) these therapeutic agents can be pre-activated away from the infected body tissues; (4) these photoactive compounds can be further activated to produce pre-activated compounds or therapeutic agents in the presence of the infected body tissues; (5) the compositions having matrix supports can be separated from the body tissues after the tissues have been treated; (6) the compositions having matrix supports can be separated by physical means, such as filtration, centrifugation are magnetic separation technique; (7) the compositions having matrix supports, after being washed, can be re-used to treat other infected body tissues; (8) the therapeutic agents affixed to matrix supports do not appear to enter the target tumor cells or other pathogenic biological contaminants; and (9) the therapeutic agents coupled to an antibody will bind to specific antigens. The pre-activated therapeutic agents have the following desirable properties: (1) Subsequent to pre-activation outside the body or body tissue, they still retain, in the animal body or body tissue, their preferential affinity, hence preferential toxicity, toward tumors or other pathogenic biological contaminants infecting the animal body or body tissue; (2) after they have been pre-activated, there is no need to further activate them by the activating agent inside the animal body or body tissue; (3) they are stable e after being activated and retain their biological and therapeutic activities for at least long enough for the destruction of target tumor cells or other pathogenic biological contaminants to take place, and some can retain the activity for days if kept in the dark and under low temperature; (4) they can be pre-activated by radiation energy, electromagnetic energy, electrical energy, electrons, or chemicals; (5) they are preferentially associated with tumor cells or other pathogenic biological contaminants over normal body tissues; (6) they are efficient in destructing or destroying the tumor cells or other pathogenic biological contaminants with which they have associated; (7) in effective doses, they are relatively non-toxic against normal cells or normal body tissues; (8) they can be combined with certain other agents to achieve a greater percentage kill of the tumor cells or other pathogenic biological contaminants infecting an animal, such as human, or a body tissue; (9) certain other chemomodifying agents can assert a synergistic therapeutic effect when combined with them; (10) because they are pre-activated away from the target sites and outside the animal body and because, once pre-activated, they require no further activation in the animal body, they can even be pre-activated by activating agent such as ultraviolet radiation which, by itself, is undesirable and mutagenic; and (11) they can prolong the survival time of the tumor-bearing animal as compared to the untreated control animal. Other objects, advantages and features of the present invention will become clear from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the drawings, tables and appended claims.

One way to target a therapeutic agent to a particular cell is to affix the therapeutic agent to an antibody that is specific to the antigen of that cell. An antigen is a substance that can induce an immune response. Antibodies are protein molecule that are synthesized on exposure to antigen and that combine specifically with that antigen. Thus, antibodies combine only with the antigen that induces their production. As a result, antibodies are highly specific for the antigen that induces their production. Antibodies that can be used in this invention include, but are not limited to, antibodies to various cancer cells and antibodies to various pathogenic biological contaminants, such as viruses. Examples of antibodies to viruses include anti-HIV, anti-HLTV, anti-CD₄, anti-hepatitis, anti-Herpes, and anti-monocyte/macrophage.

The present invention provides therapeutic compositions containing pre-activated photoactive compounds chemically coupled to antibodies, method of their preparation, and their uses. Generally, the antibodies selected are those specific to antigens found in the tumor cells or other pathogenic biological contaminants. The photoactive compound coupled to antibodies in the therapeutic compositions is pre-activated by an activating agent prior to utilizing the therapeutic compositions in an in vivo or an in vitro method. Increased selectivity and efficacy may be achieved by the use of therapeutic compositions having pre-activated photoactive compounds affixed to antibodies. Due to their antigen recognition capabilities, these therapeutic compositions can deliver higher concentrations of the pre-activated photoactive compounds to target tissue while sparing normal tissue. The therapeutic compositions can also be activated further by an activating agent after the mixtures have been introduced into an animal body or after the target tissues have been exposed to the therapeutic compositions.

The fact that photoactive compounds can be activated away from the targets to produce a pre-activated photoactive compound or therapeutic agent which retains its therapeutic activities subsequent to the activation is astonishing and totally unexpected. The presently accepted teaching is that to be therapeutically effective, the activation must be accomplished at the target sites. Yet the present invention shows that photoactive compounds can indeed be activated away from, and before being brought into contact with, the target site.

The present invention provides therapeutic admixtures and method of preparation, as well as their uses. The mixtures contain a conveyor having a pre-activated photoactive compound affixed thereto. The photoactive compound can either be pre-activated or post-activated to produce the therapeutic agent capable of destructing or destroying malignant tumor cells or other pathogenic biological contaminants infecting body tissues.

The term "conveyor" as used herein denotes either an immobilizing component, such as a matrix support, or a targeting component, such as an antibody. A matrix support in this invention can either be non-magnetic or magnetic. Preferably, the matrix support is biocompatible in addition to being inert. Examples of non-magnetic matrix support include agarose beads, sepharose beads, polystyrene beads, and copolymers of styrene and divinylbenzene ("Merrifield-polymer), etc. Examples of magnetic matrix support include magnetic acrylic particles and Magnogel-44® (containing about 4% of acrylamide, 4% agarose, and 7% Fe₃ O₄), both available from Polysciences, Inc., Warrington, Pa. The magnetic matrix support can be attracted by a magnet.

The term "affixed" as used herein is to denote physical attachment, such as coating, or enclosure, or, more generally, "coupling," which usually denotes the formation of a chemical bond, such as a covalent bond, or a hydrogen bonding. Thus, for example, CH-Sepharose 4B, which contains a free amino group, can be coupled with carboxyl -containing photoactive compounds. Likewise, CH-Sepharose 4B, which contains a free carboxyl group, can be coupled or condensed with photoactive compounds containing amino groups. In either case, the bonds formed are amide linkages. The coupling reactions usually proceed efficiently in the presence of a catalyst, such as a carbodiimide compound.

The term "pre-activated" as used herein denotes that the photoactive compound is activated, sensitized, or excited outside the animal or human body, or outside the body tissues. Thus, the term "pre-activated" denotes that the activation of the photoactive compound is accomplished away from the body tissue to be treated, away from the target tumor cells or target biological pathogenic contaminants. Hence, the activation step in the "pre-activated" method is carried out before, not after, the photoactive compound has interacted with the target tumor cells or with other pathogenic biological contaminants. In fact, the activation step in the "pre-activated" method is carried out prior to the photoactive compound has been brought into contact with the tissue to be treated. There is no requirement for further activation at the target sites once the photoactive compound has been pre-activated. The therapeutic agent so generated has a measurable and clinically useful shelf life time.

The term "post-activated," as opposed to "pre-activated," as used herein denotes that the photoactive compound is activated, sensitized or excited in the presence of the target body tissues, or inside the animal or human body. Thus, the activating step in the "poet-activated" method is carried out after the photoactive compound has been brought into contact with the body tissue to be treated, or after the photoactive compound has been administered into the animal body.

The activating agent as used herein denotes a means or an agent that is capable of activating, exciting, or sensitizing a photoactive compound. The activating agent can be radiation energy, such as cobalt sixty radiation, the entire spectrum of electromagnetic energy, laser, heat energy, electric current, electrons, or chemicals. The electromagnetic spectrum can be the entire range of wavelengths or frequencies of electromagnetic radiation extending from gamma rays to the longest radio waves and including visible light, xenon light, laser light, and ultraviolet light. The laser or other radiation energy can be continuous or pulsed. The pulsed energy used is such that the energy supplied has a multiple number of short pulses of relatively high energy, but at the same time, has a much lower average energy rate. The laser could be gold vapor laser, xenon laser, argon laser, a crystal laser, a gas discharge laser, an excimer laser, krypton laser, argon ion pumped dye laser, or hollow cathode metal vapor laser, and others. Even sources such as conventional filament lamp source with appropriate filtering, an arc lamp source with appropriate filtering, or even a pulsed xenon flash lamp with appropriate filtering could be used.

The term "interact" as used herein denotes the general phenomena of having the therapeutic agent adhering to, accumulate in, or associated with the tumor cells or other pathogenic biological contaminants infecting a body tissue.

The photoactive compounds are generally compounds, such as dyes, having one or more chromophores and capable of absorbing light energy. The term "chromophore" refers to portions of a molecule that are fundamentally responsible for the electronic transition. These photoactive compounds can be cationic, anionic, zwitterionic, or neutral. They comprise chemical classes and their respective derivatives, including, but are not limited to: acridine; anthraquinone; azine; azo, which comprises disazo, monoazo, pyrazolones, and triazo; azomethine; carbocyanine; coumarins; diphenylmethane; flaven; flavone; flavylium salts; indigoid; methylidyne; nitro; nitroso; polymethylidyne; natural dyes such as porphyrin derivatives; psoralens; quinonimines; sulfide; sulfur; thiazole; toluidine; triphenylmethane; xanthene; and others. Their derivatives may contain functional groups, such as hydroxyl, carboxyl, thiol, or amino group, all of which are capable of forming chemical bonds through coupling reactions.

The term "pathogenic biological contaminants" is to be understood to include: viruses, enveloped or not enveloped; microorganism; parasites; bacteria and the like.

"Tumors" or "tumor cells" is understood to include, among others: cancer of the bone and connective tissues; cancer of the eyes; leukemias; lymphomas; myelomas; melanomas, breast cancer, lung cancer, ovarian cancer as well as other types of cancer and solid tumors, and malignancies.

The term "body tissue" as used herein is to be understood to include "body fluid," red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, cryo precipitate from blood plasma, other plasma proteins, bone marrow, skin, cornea, and other tissues from an animal or a human.

The term "body fluid" as used herein is to be understood to include whole blood, any formed elements of the blood, blood plasma, serum, fluids containing such components, fluids from plasmapheresis, plasma fibrinogen, cryo-poor plasma, albumin, gamma globulins, semen, and other fluids introduced or intravenously injected into the body of a patient or an animal using known administration techniques. The term "body fluid" is to be understood to include body fluid prior to, or after, physical as well as chemical fractionation, separation or freezing.

The term "in vitro" as used herein is to denote outside, or external to, the animal or human body.

The term "in vivo" as used herein denotes inside the animal or human body.

The term "animal" as used herein is to denote any warm-blooded animal; this includes human and other domestic and farm

The term "carrier" as used herein denote a vehicle, a solution containing water, buffers, serum, serum proteins, lipoproteins, artificial bio-membranes, liposomes, monoclonal antibodies, carbohydrates, cyclodextrans, organic solvents or other pharmaceutically acceptable, or compatible, solutions.

The carrier, or vehicle, is to dissolve or encapsulate any of the above-described photoactive compound and to enhance its delivery into effective proximity to the target tumor cells or other pathogenic biological contaminants infecting body tissues. The final carrier, or vehicle, used is pharmaceutically compatible in that it is relatively non-toxic to the normal cells and normal tissues and it does not react with the solute or therapeutic agent contained therein.

The phrase "chemomodifying agent" as used herein is to denote an agent, such as a chemical or any other agent, that can potentiate, augment or increase the therapeutic efficacy of a therapeutic agent. Hence, a chemomodifying agent can synergize the therapeutic efficacy of a therapeutic agent.

The phrase "effective dosage" as used herein is to denote the concentration or level of the therapeutic agent that can attain a particular medical end, such as a cure, control, or a destruction of the undesirable cells, such as tumor cells, or pathogenic biological contaminants, without producing a pronounced toxic symptoms.

The present invention provides therapeutic compositions, a method for its preparation, and methods of its application to treat tissues, either externally or inside the body, infected with tumor or other pathogenic biological contaminants.

The therapeutic composition comprises a pre-activated photoactive compound physically attached or more preferably covalently coupled to either a matrix support or an antibody. A sufficient amount of activating agent has been introduced such that the photoactive compound is activated to produce a therapeutic agent. The therapeutic agent is characterized in that subsequent to activation, it is still capable of interacting with and destructing or destroying tumors or other pathogenic biological contaminants infecting body tissues, and that subsequent to activation, it is, at effective dosages, relatively non-toxic to normal tissues or normal cells. Further, subsequent to activation, its therapeutic properties are retained, in whole or in part, for at least a time sufficient to destroy tumors, viruses, or other pathogenic biological contaminants.

Photoactive compounds which are selective for tumor or other pathogenic biological contaminants, or made so by virtue of being affixed to a targeting component, and which can be used in the eradication, control, or destruction of such tumor cells or contaminants in accordance with the present invention, must satisfy the following criteria.

(1) These photoactive compound must have one or more chromophores. Portions of their molecules must be fundamentally responsible for the electronic transition. They are capable of absorbing light energy;

(2) These photoactive compounds must be capable of being activated or sensitized by an activating agent, such as radiation energy, electromagnetic energy, electrical energy, electrons, or chemical;

(3) Generally, for ease of coupling, these photoactive compounds contain at least one functional group, such as a free amino group, a free carboxyl group, a free thiol group, or a free hydroxyl group capable of being coupled to form a covalent bond, such as a peptide link, with an appropriate functional group present in the matrix support or in the antibody. The condensation between a free amino group and a free carboxyl group to form a peptide link can usually be achieved by acid-catalyzed removal of water.

(4) After they have been activated by an activating agent outside the body or body tissue, the resultant therapeutic agent must still retain, in the animal body or body tissue, its preferential affinity, hence preferential toxicity, toward tumors or other pathogenic biological contaminants infecting the animal body or body tissue;

(5) After they have been activated by an activating agent outside the body or body tissue, the resultant agent does not require further activation by the activating agent inside the animal body or body tissue;

(6) After they have been activated by an activating agent outside the body or body tissue, the resultant therapeutic agent must be relatively stable and that it must retain its biological or therapeutic activities for at least long enough to destruct target tumor cells or other pathogenic biological contaminants and some for days if kept in the dark and under low temperature;

(7) After they have been activated by an activating agent outside the body or body tissue, the resultant therapeutic agent is preferentially associated with tumor cells or other pathogenic biological contaminants over normal body tissues or normal cells;

(8) After they have been activated by an activating agent outside the body or body tissue, the resultant therapeutic agent is efficient in destructing or destroying the tumor cells or other pathogenic biological contaminants with which it has associated;

(9) After they have been activated by an activating agent outside the body or body tissue, the resultant therapeutic agent, in effective doses, is relatively non-toxic against normal cells or normal body tissues;

(10) After they have been activated by an activating agent outside the body or body tissue, the resultant therapeutic agent can be combined with certain other agents to achieve a greater percentage kill of the tumor cells or other pathogenic biological contaminants infecting an animal, such as human, or a body tissue; and

(11) After they have been activated by an activating agent outside the body or body tissue, the resultant therapeutic agent can be combined with certain other chemomodifying agents, such as a chemical, electrons, electrical current, or gamma rays, to augment or enhance the therapeutic effect of the resultant therapeutic agent.

Broadly, the therapeutic compositions can be prepared by coupling a photoactive compound containing one or more functional groups capable of forming a covalent bond with one or more "counter" functional groups in the conveyor. The functional groups can be amino, carboxyl, thiol or hydroxyl groups. The coupling reactions are normally promoted by a promoter such as a N,N'-disubstituted carbodiimide compound. Carbodiimide compounds promote condensation between a free amino and a free carboxyl group to form a peptide link by acid-catalyzed removal of water. Thus, AH-Sepharose 4B beads, which contain free amino groups, can be coupled with carboxyl-containing photoactive compounds; while CH-Sepharose 4B beads, which contain free carboxyl groups, can be coupled with photoactive compounds containing amino groups. Likewise, antibodies containing free amino groups can be coupled with carboxyl-containing photoactive compounds; and antibodies containing free hydroxyl groups can be coupled with amino-containing photoactive compounds.

Generally, as stock solution of the pre-activated therapeutic agent is prepared by dissolving an appropriate concentration of photoactive compound in an appropriate pharmaceutically acceptable carrier or vehicle as defined above. The resultant solution is then subjected to a sufficient amount of activating agent to produce a therapeutic agent such that the photoactive compound dissolved therein is activated and subsequently, in the absence of the activating agent, capable of interacting with, and destroying, tumors or other pathogenic biological contaminants infecting the body tissues. Aliquots of the stock solution are then removed and diluted with appropriate pharmaceutically acceptable carrier or vehicle to the desired concentrations. Depending on the photoactive compound used, the stability of the resultant therapeutic agent can vary. Nevertheless, it is stable at room temperature for at least a few minutes to be clinically and practically useful. Some of the pre-activated therapeutic agent is even stable for days if kept in the dark at low temperature. The term "stability" as used herein denotes the ability for the pre-activated therapeutic agent to exert its biological or therapeutic properties after storage.

Pre-activated therapeutic solutions with the desired concentration can then be used for either the in vitro or the in vivo application. In the in vitro application, solution containing the appropriate concentration of the pre-activated therapeutic agent is administered into body tissue or cells outside the animal body, such as human body. The mixture containing the pre-activated therapeutic agent and the tissues or cells to be treated is then incubated at an appropriate temperature for a desired duration of time. This application is useful, for example, for the extracorporeal treatment of body tissues, such as human tissues, to eradicate tumor cells or other pathogenic biological contaminants infecting such body tissues. In the in vivo application, the solution containing the appropriate concentration of pre-activated therapeutic agent is directly administered into the animal body. This application is useful, for example, for the treatment of animal, such as human, infected with tumor or other pathogenic biological contaminants.

Some of the preferred activating agents include, but are not limited to: radiation in the entire absorption spectrum or region of the photoactive compound, preferably around the relatively strong or near maximum absorption regions of the molecules; gamma rays; electrons generated by an electropotential device; and chemical.

Any suitable source can be employed to irradiate the photoactive compound, provided such source produces sufficient radiation to activate the photoactive compound and to provide the resultant therapeutic agent or mixture with the desired properties mentioned above. The operable source employed to irradiate the resulting fluid has a wavelength of from about 230 nm to about 1200 nm and an energy density of from about 0.1 J/cm² to about 80,000 J/cm². Suitable light sources include, but are not limited to, sources that generate a specific wavelength range of radiation and sources that are fitted with appropriate filter to reduce the undesirable ranges of wavelengths.

Because the pre-activation of the therapeutic agent, or the activation of the photoactive compound, takes place before, not after nor during, the agent or compound is brought into contact with tissues, extracorporeally or outside the body, the activating agent used can even be a potentially lethal or dangerous radiation, such as UV or gamma rays. The UV or gamma rays used to activate the photoactive compound will not be in contact with any body tissue. Hence, they will not harm the body tissues or the host, such as the human subject or patient.

Flow of electrons or electric current, such as that generated by two electrodes, can also be used to activate the photoactive compound. The electrodes are made of a cathode and an anode. They can be powered by any conventional power source, such as a direct current battery or others. The operable voltage or current has a low amperage but high voltage, such as from about 10 volts and upward in a range of milliamps. Certain chemicals, such as chloroquine, hydrogen peroxide, certain reducing agents or certain oxidizing agents can also be used to activate the photoactive compound.

Certain chemomodifying agents, such as buthionine sulfoximine (BSO; commercially available from Sigma, St. Louis, Mo.) can be used to potentiate or augment the therapeutic efficacy or activity of the pre-activated therapeutic agent or mixture. BSO is a compound which depletes cells of cellular glutathione (GSH) by inhibiting the synthesis of GSH, yet it has been shown in in vivo screenings to be relatively non-toxic. M. J. Allalunis-Turner, F. Y. F. Lee, and D. W. Siemann, Cancer Res. 48:3657-60 (1988); F. Y. F. Lee, D. W. Siemann, M. J. Allalunis-Turner, and P. C. Keng, Cancer Res. 48:3661-65 (1988).

As previously set forth, the present invention provides an effective pre-activated therapeutic composition, and methods of its preparation as well as its practical application and utility, for the destruction, killing, or eradication of tumor cells and other pathogenic biological contaminants infecting the body tissues, either inside the animal body or outside the animal body. Such animal can be a human. The contaminants that can be eradicated include the enveloped viruses, non-enveloped viruses, and other microorganism, including other parasites and bacteria.

The term "enveloped virus" in all cases but one is understood to be a virus of which is encased within a modified host cell membrane, except for the Pox-virus which produce their own envelope. Among families of enveloped vises are: Herpesviridae; Iridoviridae; Poxviridae; Hepadnaviridae; Orthomyxoviridae; Paramyxoviridae; Rhabdoviridae; Bunyaviridae; Filoviridae; Nodaviridae; Togaviridae; Flaviviridae; Retroviridae; and Arenaviridae. Among common species or genus of such enveloped viruses are: Cytomegalovirus; herpes simplex virus; Pox virus; human immunodeficiency virus; Epstein-Barr virus; and others.

Among families of "non-enveloped" viruses are: Parvoviridae; Papovaviridae; Adenoviridae; Picornaviridae; Caliciviridae; Reoviridae; and Coronaviridae. Among common species or genus of such non-enveloped viruses are: parvovirus; papillomavirus; adenoviruses; polioviruses; and others.

Among the parasites are: Parasitic Protozoa; Kinetoplastida; Sarcodina; Apicomplexa; Phyla Myxozoa Microspora; Platyhelminthes; Trubellaria; Trematoda; Digenea; Anepitheliocystidia; Cestoidea; Nematoda; Trichurata Dioctophymata; Oxyurata; and Spirurata. Also included are malaria, trypanoeoma, schistosoma, teniasolium, teniasaginata, acanthamaoeba, and echinococcus.

Included in the bacteria are gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria.

Other microorganism which can be effectively eradicated by the method of the present invention include, but are not limited to: Plasmodium vivax, P. malariae, P. falciparum, P. ovale, Trypanosoma cruzi, Bacillus subtilis, and Streptococcus faecalis.

Merocyanine 540 (MC 540; 1,3 dibutyl-5-[4-[3-(3-sulfopropyl)-2-benzoxazolinylidine]-2,4-butenylidene]-2-thiobarbituric acid sodium salt) (commercially available either from Sigma Chemical Co. in St. Louis, Mo., or from Eastman Kodak in Rochester, N.Y.) was typically activated by dissolving 1 milligram of this photoactive compound in 1 ml of 1:1 ratio of 95% ethanol and water, although smaller amount of the ethanol (about 10% in volume) had been successfully used for the preparation of the therapeutic composition used for injecting into the animal body, the in vivo studies. The resultant solution was placed in a 35×10 mm Falcon petri dish and then irradiated with a laser light at 514 nm maintained at 2.5 watts for 45 minutes. The light source used was an argon ion laser (Spectra Physics Model 171) with a model 270 power supply. In some experiments, relatively broad range of wavelength of light (from about 400 nm to 560 nm) was also used successfully. During the irradiation, the petri dish was kept on a 1/4 inch thick plate that acted as a heat sink. Irradiation by laser light was carried out at room temperature. In some experiments, the solution was gently agitated during the irradiation. Final dilution were made in plain RPMI 1640 medium (GIBCO, Grand Island, N.Y.) to obtain the desired concentrations. The pre-activated therapeutic agent so prepared was used in both in vivo and in vitro experiments unless otherwise stated.

Dihematoporphyrin ether (DHE) (sometimes known as Photofrin II; commercially available from Quadra Logic Technologies, Inc., Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada) was similarly activated. The photoactive DHE (obtained in solution) was mixed with either saline solution or RPMI-1640 complete medium to obtain the desired concentrations and irradiated with laser light for about 40 minutes in the wavelength range of from about 600 nm to about 650 nm maintained at about 150 m watts.

Methylene Blue (commercially available from Eastman Kodak, Rochester, N.Y.) either in saline solution or in RPMI-1640 complete medium was irradiated with laser light for about 20 minutes in the wavelength range of from about 600 nm to about 650 nm maintained at about 200 m watts.

Benzoporphyrin derivatives were synthesized from protoporphyrin and involving the formation of Diels-Alder adducts. Briefly, protoporphyrin IX dimethyl ester (500 mg, 0.85 mmol) was dissolved in dry toluene (50 ml), and diethyl acetylenedicarboxylate (0.5 ml, 3.15 mmol) was added. The reaction mixture was refluxed in the dark for 6 days. The solvent was removed in vacuo, and the residue was purified by chromatography on silica gel with dichloromethane/2% diethyl ether. After limited hydrolysis with 25% HCl, the reaction yielded four components, mono- and di-acid derivatives of either ring A or ring B fused porphyrins (MAA, MAB, DAA, and DAB, respectively). The methods of synthesis, such as those disclosed by J. S. Pangka, A. R. Morgan and D. Dolphin, J. Org. Chem. 51:1094-1100 (1986), were employed, and the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein. The four isomers, namely, MAA, MAB, DAA, and DAB, were activated as above. Each compound was dissolved in a complete medium (a medium where all necessary growth constituents for the growth or maintenance of cells of a given type have been added) and irradiated for about 20 minutes with a laser light at a wavelength range of from about 650 nm to about 720 nm maintained at 150 m watts.

N,N'-Bis(2-ethyl-1,3-dioxolane)kryptocyanine (EDKC) can be prepared by methods such as those disclosed by F. M. Hammer, J. Chem. Soc., 2796-2804 (1927), and the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein. In brief, 1-(2-ethylene-1,3-dioxolane)-4-methylquinolinium bromide (0.66 g, 2 mmol) and dry pyridine (6 ml) are stirred at 110° C. under a nitrogen atmosphere until solution occurred. To this is to be added triethylorthoformate (0.75 g, 5 mmol) and stirring is to continue for 2 hr. The deep cyan colored solution is to be cooled and poured into rapidly stirred ethyl ether (200 ml). The crude product can be isolated by filtration and purified by medium-pressure column chromatography (Woelm 32-63 silica gel, methylene chloride/methanol). The fractions that are homogeneous by thin layer chromatography analysis (silica gel, 5% methanol/methylene chloride) are to be combined. A solution of the resultant EDKC in a complete medium can be irradiated with laser light for about 10 minutes around the wavelength region from about 650 nm to about 725 nm maintained at about 1 to 2 watts.

Pre-activated therapeutic agent prepared from or derived from MC 540 activated by laser light is a powerful anti-tumor agent particularly against the leukemias and lymphomas. The activity of the compound in vivo against L1210 leukemia transplanted into mice is demonstrated in the following experimental study.

Female DBA/2 NIT mice, 6-8 weeks old, were obtained from Charles River, Wilmington, Mass. These mice, weighing about 25 g. each, were each inoculated intraperitoneally (i.p.) on Day "0" with about 4×10⁶ cells of the murine leukemia, L1210. Six days later (Day 6), each mice was again inoculated intraperitoneally with 3×10⁶ of similar L1210 leukemia cells. One day later (Day 7), the mice were treated i.p. with pre-activated therapeutic agent derived from MC 540 at a level of 3.2 mg/kg in a volume of 200 ul per muse. The treatment with pre-activated therapeutic agent derived from MC 540 was repeated, at similar dosages, on Days 10 and 12. On Days 13, 14 and 16, each of the treated mice was injected i.p. with pre-activated therapeutic agent derived from MC 540 at a dosage of 20 mg/kg. Thus, within a span of 16 days, each of the treated mice received a total of 109.6 mg/kg of the pre-activated therapeutic agent derived from MC 540.

Injections of similar mixture of ethanol and water were used as controls. The control L1210-bearing mice died on Day 14, on the average.

The L1210-bearing mice treated with pre-activated therapeutic agent derived from MC 540 discussed above lived to Day 24, on the average. Thus, the treated mice showed an extension of life-span of about 71%.

Experiments were also carried out to establish the relatively non-toxic nature of pre-activated therapeutic agents derived from photoactive compounds toward normal human cells. Experiments were likewise carried out to determine the inhibition of growth of various tumor cells in the presence of pre-activated therapeutic agents or mixtures derived from photoactive compounds in culture, the in vitro experiments. Moreover, experiments were performed to demonstrate the anti-viral and anti-parasitic properties of the pre-activated therapeutic agent or mixture derived from photoactive compounds. The following examples describe the method and manner of carrying out the experiments but are not to be construed as limiting.

All cell lines for the following examples were obtained from the American Type Culture Collection (ATCC, Rockville, Md.) and maintained in recommended growth medium at 37° C. in a humidified 5% CO₂ incubator. The acute promyelocytic leukemia cell line HL-60 was maintained in RPMI-1640 supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS), 100 units penicillin/100 ug streptomycin, and 0.25 mM L-glutamine (Gibco, Grand Island, N.Y.) at 37° C. in a humidified atmosphere of 5% CO₂ in air. Cells were maintained in log phase with more than 95% viability. H-69, HS-Sultan and ARH-77 cell lines were maintained in IMDM (Iscoves Modified Dulbecco's Medium) and 10% FBS. BT-20 cell line was maintained in Eagle's minimum essential medium with Earle's salts with non-essential animo acids plus 10% FBS. MCF-7 cell line was maintained as above but sodium pyruvate was added. Other cell lines were maintained in RPMI-1640 medium in the presence of 10% FBS.

The general method of maintaining different cell lines has been described in publications by Gulliya, et al., and are hereby incorporated by reference. K. S. Gulliya, J. L. Matthews, J. W. Fay, and R. M. Dowben, Life Sci. 42:2651-56 (1988); K. S. Gulliya, S. Pervaiz, D. G. Nealon, and D. F. Vander Meulen, Proc. SPIE 907:34-36 (1988); K. S. Gulliya, J. L. Matthews, J. W. Fay, R. M. Dowben, Proc. SPIE 847:163-165 (1987).

Normal bone marrow cells were obtained from patients in marrow transplantation research protocols. Methods of maintaining bone marrow cell cultures, such as those disclosed by K. S. Gulliya, et al., Life Sci. 42:2651-56 (1988), were employed, and the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein.

Normal cells and tumor cells were treated with different freshly prepared pre-activated therapeutic agents or mixtures derived from photoactive compounds at different final concentrations. To study the effect of each pre-activated therapeutic agent derived from a photoactive compound, the treated cells were incubated at 37° C. for 24 hours in the presence of the pre-activated therapeutic agent derived or prepared from the photoactive compound. The viability of cells in certain experiments was determined by Trypan Blue dye exclusion method. In another set of experiments, cell were treated with pre-activated therapeutic agents derived or prepared from photoactive compounds for 24 hours at 37° C. At the end of the incubation period, radioactive alanine or thymidine was added to the cell suspension. After another 24 hour incubation period at 37° C., the cells were harvested by PHD-cell harvester and the radioactive incorporation was determined by a Beckman LS1701 liquid scintillation counter. Inhibition of DNA or protein synthesis as determined by ³ H-thymidine or ³ H-alanine incorporation was interchangeably used with percent cell viability. In meet experiments, the viability of cells was also determined by Trypan Blue dye exclusion method in addition to the determination based on DNA or protein synthesis. Methods of in vitro assay, such as those disclosed in Selected Methods in Cellular Immunology, Eds. B. B. Mishell and Stanley M. Shiigi, W. H. Freeman and Company, San Francisco, Calif., 1980, were employed, and the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein.

EXAMPLE I

Fresh normal peripheral blood lymphocytes from normal human blood were treated with pre-activated therapeutic agent derived from MC 540 for 24 hours at 37° C. After this incubation period, cells were stimulated by 100 ug/ml of phytohemagglutinin (PHA) for 42 hours and ³ M-thymidine (4 uCi/ml) was added for the last 24 hours. After 72 hours of incubation, cells were harvested by PHD-cell harvestor and ³ H-thymidine incorporation was determined as counts per minute (CPM) and compared to the control to determine the percent viability.

Tumor cells were treated with pre-activated therapeutic agent derived from MC 540 for 24 hours at 37° C. After the incubation period, ³ H-thymidine was added and incubated for another 24 hours. After a total of 48 hours, tumor cells were harvested as described above, except that these cells were not stimulated with PHA.

The data presented in Table 1 show that pre-activated therapeutic agent derived or prepared from MC 540 activated by laser light was relatively non-toxic to normal human peripheral blood lymphocytes originated from normal human blood. In contrast, human leukemia cells, human Burkitt lymphoma cells, human cutaneous T-cell lymphoma cells, human histiocytic lymphoma cells, human small cell lung carcinoma cells and murine leukemia cells were all susceptible to destruction by the pre-activated therapeutic agent derived from MC 540. This pre-activated therapeutic agent killed over 90% of these tumor cells. Under similar conditions, multiple myeloma cells were, however, less sensitive to pre-activated therapeutic agent derived from MC 540 activated by laser light.

                  TABLE 1                                                          ______________________________________                                         EFFECT OF PRE-ACTIVATED THERAPEUTIC AGENT                                      DERIVED FROM PHOTOACTIVE COMPOUND                                              MEROCYANINE 540 (MC 540) ON NORMAL AND TUMOR                                   CELLS                                                                                                      Percent                                                                        Viability                                                                      Of Cells                                           Cell Type  Origin Of Cells  After Treatment                                    ______________________________________                                         Peripheral Blood                                                                          Normal Human Blood                                                                                85**                                             Lymphocytes                                                                    Peripheral Blood                                                                          Normal Human Blood                                                                               90*                                               Lymphocytes                                                                    HL-60      Human Leukemia   2.6                                                Daudi      Human Burkitt Lymphoma                                                                          4.6                                                L1210      Murine Leukemia  2.4                                                HS-Sultan  Human Multiple Myeloma                                                                           79                                                ARH-77     Human Multiple Myeloma                                                                          100                                                GM-1312    Human Multiple Myeloma                                                                           25                                                HUT-78     Human Cutaneous T-Cell                                                                          2.5                                                           Lymphoma                                                            U-937      Human Histiogtic 5.6                                                           Lymphoma                                                            H-69       Human Small Cell Lung                                                                           9.0                                                           Carcinoma                                                           ______________________________________                                          A final concentration of 40 ug/ml of the preactivated therapeutic agent        derived from MC 540 was used for this set of experiments. Viability was        determined from the .sup.3 Hthymidine incorporation.                           *Viability of the cells was determined by Trypan Blue dye exclusion            method. Treatment was carried out in the presence of 10% FBS.                  **Treatment was carried out in the presence of 10% FBS.                  

EXAMPLE II

Results presented in Table 2 show that, similar to pre-activated therapeutic agent derived from MC 540, pre-activated therapeutic agent derived from dihematoporphyrin ether (DHE) activated by laser light was also relatively non-toxic toward normal peripheral blood lymphocytes originated from normal human blood. In contrast, human leukemia cells and human Burkitt lymphoma cells were highly sensitive to, and hence were killed, or destroyed, by, pre-activated therapeutic agent derived from DHE.

From the above Table, it is apparent that the invention has produced a near total destruction of a number of tumor cells without adverse effects on normal cells.

                  TABLE 2                                                          ______________________________________                                         EFFECT OF PRE-ACTIVATED THERAPEUTIC AGENT                                      DERIVED FROM PHOTOACTIVE COMPOUND                                              DIHEMATOPORPHYRIN ETHER (DHE) ON HUMAN                                         NORMAL AND TUMOR CELLS                                                                                  Percent Viability Of                                  Cell Type   Origin Of Cells                                                                             Cells After Treatment                                 ______________________________________                                         Peripheral Blood                                                                           Normal Human 85                                                    Lymphocytes Blood                                                              HL-60       Human Leukemia                                                                               8                                                    Daudi       Human Burkitt                                                                  Lymphoma     10.0                                                  ______________________________________                                          A final concentration of 12.5 ug/ml of preactivated therapeutic agent          derived from DHE was used for this set of experiments. Viability was           determined from the .sup.3 Hthymidine incorporation.                     

EXAMPLE III

A stock solution of MC 540 was prepared by dissolving the photoactive compound MC 540 in a mixture of 1:1 95% ethanol and water. The desired amount of MC 540 solution was then either mixed with RPMI-1640 medium (with or without serum) or placed as was in a sterile petri dish (3×10 mm). The petri dish containing the solution of MC 540 was then irradiated with 514 nm laser light for different amounts of time as discussed above. The resultant pre-activated therapeutic agent was then used to determine its tumor-cell killing efficacy. It is seen from data presented in Table 3 that the duration of activating the photoactive compound MC 540 affected the therapeutic efficacy of the pre-activated therapeutic composition so prepared. For most applications, 8 minutes of laser irradiation at 2 watts was sufficient to activate 20 ug/ml of MC 540.

                  TABLE 3                                                          ______________________________________                                         EFFECT OF THE DURATION OF ACTIVATION BY                                        RADIATION OF MEROCYANINE 540 ON ITS SUB-                                       SEQUENT CYTOTOXICITY TOWARD TUMOR CELLS*                                       Duration Of Irradiation                                                                      Percent Viability                                                                           Percent Viability                                   In Minutes    Of Daudi Cells                                                                              Of H-69 Cells                                       ______________________________________                                         2             N.D.**       30.4                                                4             20           N.D.**                                              8             32           51.2                                                16            26           46.6                                                32            0.2          63.2                                                60            0.6          41.0                                                ______________________________________                                          *Merocyanine 540 was activated by irradiation with a laser light at 514 n      for different duration of time before being brought into contact with          tumor cells. The resultant therapeutic mixture (40 ug/ml) was incubated        overnight with tumor cells. Viability of the tumor cells was determined b      Trypan Blue dye exclusion method. Daudi cells, originating from human          Burkill lymphoma, were maintained in 2% FBS; H69 cells, originating from       human small cell lung carcinoma, were maintained in 10% FBS.                   **N.D. = Not determined.                                                 

EXAMPLE IV

A stock solution of MC 540 was prepared by dissolving the photoactive compound MC 540 in a 1:1 mixture of 95% ethanol and water. The desired amount of MC 540 solution was then either mixed with RPMI-1640 medium or placed as was in a sterile petri dish (35×10 mm). The petri dish containing the solution of MC 540 (for a final concentration of 20 ug/ml in cell culture) was then irradiated with 514 nm laser light for about 8 minus at 2 watts to yield the pre-activated therapeutic agent. Aliquots of the pre-activated therapeutic agent derived from MC 540 was then stored at different temperatures and for different durations of time. After the storage, the remaining therapeutic activity of the pre-activated therapeutic agent was determined by its ability to kill Daudi tumor cells as compared to that of a freshly prepared sample. Data presented in Table 4 show that after storing at 4° C. for 1 day, the pre-activated therapeutic agent derived from MC 540 retained its therapeutic activity that was about 60% of that of the freshly prepared sample. After 15 days at -10° C., the pre-activated therapeutic agent derived from MC 540 irradiated with laser light retained about half of its therapeutic activity as compared to a freshly prepared sample. After 7 days at -75° C., the pre-activated therapeutic agent derived from MC 540 still retained about 96% of its original therapeutic activity. After 7 days at -135° C., none of its therapeutic activity was lost as compared to the freshly prepared sample. Thus, the lower the temperature at which the pre-activated therapeutic agent was stored, the longer it would retain its tumor-killing ability. It is clear that the present invention provides a pre-activated therapeutic agent that is stable and that retains its ability, in whole or in part, to kill tumor cells for quite some time after the activating agent, in this case the laser light, was removed.

                  TABLE 4                                                          ______________________________________                                         EFFECT OF THE STORAGE TEMPERATURE AND TIME                                     ON THE RETENTION OF THE THERAPEUTIC ACTIVI-                                    TIES OF PRE-ACTIVATED THERAPEUTIC AGENT                                        DERIVED FROM PHOTOACTIVE COMPOUND                                              MEROCYANINE 540 (MC 540)                                                                    Number Of  Percentage Of                                          Storage Temperature                                                                         Days       Remaining Therapeutic                                  In °C.                                                                               Stored     Activities*                                            ______________________________________                                         Freshly Prepared                                                                            0          99                                                       4          1          60                                                     -10          1          90                                                                  2          90                                                                  7          90                                                                  15         50                                                                  30          0                                                     -75          1          96                                                                  2          96                                                                  7          96                                                                  15         80                                                     -135         1          99                                                                  2          99                                                                  7          99                                                                  15         75                                                                  30         60                                                     ______________________________________                                          *Remaining therapeutic activities were determined by the percent kill of       Daudi cells (from human Burkitt lymphoma) by the preactivated 40 ug/ml of      therapeutic agent derived from MC 540 after the activated MC 540 had been      stored at the specified temperature and duration of time.                

EXAMPLE V

The effect of the duration of treatment on Daudi cells by pre-activated therapeutic agent derived from MC 540 was determined. The activating agent used was 514 nm laser light and the final concentration of the pre-activated therapeutic agent, or drug, was 40 ug/ml. The percent survival of the cancerous Daudi cells was determined by its ability to incorporate ³ H-alanine as compared to the controls. Data presented in Table 5 show that the pre-activated therapeutic agent had exerted its cytotoxic effect within 30 minutes.

                  TABLE 5                                                          ______________________________________                                         EFFECT OF THE DURATION OF TREATMENT ON                                         HUMAN BURKITT LYMPHOMA DAUDI CELLS BY PRE-                                     ACTIVATED CHEMOTHERAPEUTIC AGENT DERIVED                                       FROM PHOTOACTIVE COMPOUND MEROCYANINE 540                                      (MC 540)                                                                       Duration of  CPM*            Percentage                                        Treatment In Hours                                                                          Control   Treated   Of Survival                                   ______________________________________                                         0.5          2333      342       14.7                                          1.5          1693      217       12.8                                          2.5          2835      278       9.8                                           3.5          1474      166       11.2                                          5.5          1151      116       10.1                                          ______________________________________                                          *Protein synthesis as determined by incorporation of .sup.3 Halanine           expressed as counts per minute (CPM).                                    

EXAMPLE VI

The effect of pre-activated therapeutic agent derived from MC 540 upon tumor cells after four hours of treatment was also determined. The pre-activated therapeutic agent was derived from MC 540 activated by 514 nm laser light. Final concentration of the drug was again 40 ug/ml. It is seen from results presented in Table 6 that both tumor cell lines, Daudi and HL-60, were almost totally eradicated even after only four hours of treatment.

                  TABLE 6                                                          ______________________________________                                         EFFECT OF PRE-ACTIVATED THERAPEUTIC AGENT                                      DERIVED FROM MEROCYANINE 540 (MC 540) UPON                                     TUMOR CELLS AFTER FOUR HOURS OF TREATMENT*                                     Cell Type                                                                              Control In CPM                                                                              Treated In CPM                                                                              Percent Kill                                 ______________________________________                                         Daudi   30,942       4,664        84.93                                        HL-60   81,792       2,221        97.31                                        ______________________________________                                          *Daudi cells, originating from human Burkill lymphoma, and HL60 cells,         originating from human leukemia, were treated for 4 hours at 37° C      with 70.2 uM of preactivated therapeutic agent derived from MC 540. After      the treatment period, cells were washed and resuspended in RPMI1640 and        10% FBS. Afterward, 0.5/uCi of .sup.3 Hthymidine was added and the mixtur      was incubated at 37° C. for overnight. Thymidine incorporation was      determined and expressed in counts per minute (C PM).                    

EXAMPLE VII

The functional activity of normal human bone marrow cells was tested in a granulocyte-macrophage colony formation assay. Methods of assay, such as those disclosed by A. A. Fauser and H. A. Mesner, Blood 53:1023-27 (1979), were employed, and the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein. Briefly, normal bone marrow cells were treated with different final concentrations of pre-activated therapeutic agent derived from MC 540 activated by 514 nm laser light. The mixture was incubated at 37° C. for 24 hours. Afterward, the treated and untreated cells were washed and plated in clonogenic assays. About 1×10⁵ cells were added to each plate containing 1 ml of 0.8% methylcellulose (Methocel A 4M, Dow Chemical Co., Midland, Mich.), 20% of FBS, 0.6 nM of 2-mercaptoethanol, 100 units penicillin/100 ug Streptomycin and 100 ul of recombinant colony stimulating factor (Genzyme, Boston, Me.). Colonies consisting of 30 or more cells were counted on days 10 to 14. Data presented in Table 7 show that with a final concentration of 20 ug/ml of pre-activated therapeutic agent derived from MC 540, about 87% of the colony forming cells survived the treatment, while about 43% of the colony forming cells survived the treatment with the pre-activated therapeutic agent at a final concentration of 40 ug/ml.

                  TABLE 7                                                          ______________________________________                                         EFFECT OF PRE-ACTIVATED THERAPEUTIC AGENT                                      DERIVED FROM PHOTOACTIVE COMPOUND                                              MEROCYANINE 540 (MC 540) ON GRANULOCYTE-                                       MACROPHAGE COLONY FORMATION                                                    Concentration Of                  Percent Of                                   Activated MC 540                                                                          Number Of              Untreated                                    In ug/ml   Colonies  Mean ± S.D.*                                                                             Control                                      ______________________________________                                          0         95, 76, 86                                                                               85.66 ± 9.50                                                                             100                                          20         62, 80, 82                                                                               74.66 ± 11.01                                                                            87.7                                         40         36, 28, 47                                                                                 37 ± 9.54                                                                              43.2                                         ______________________________________                                          *S.D. = Standard Deviation                                               

EXAMPLE VIII

The effect of pre-activated therapeutic agent derived from MC 540 on the clonogenic tumor stem cell was investigated. To assay clonogenic tumor stem cells, untreated and treated cells were plated using the procedure described in EXAMPLE VII above, except that no colony stimulating factor was added and colonies consisting of 50 or more cells were counted on day 7. The pre-activated therapeutic agent used in this experiment was derived from MC 540 irradiated with 514 nm laser light. Results presented in Table 8 show that the pre-activated therapeutic agent reduced about 98% of the clonogenic tumor stem cell in all the leukemic and lymphoma cell lines that were tested. For multiple myeloma cells, however, there was only about 35% reduction in the clonogenic tumor stem cell. Hence, multiple myeloma cells were not as sensitive as either leukemic or lymphoma cells toward treatment by pre-activated therapeutic agent derived from MC 540.

                  TABLE 8                                                          ______________________________________                                         EFFECT OF PRE-ACTIVATED THERAPEUTIC AGENT                                      DERIVED FROM PHOTOACTIVE COMPOUND                                              MEROCYANINE 540 (MC 540) ON CLONOGENIC                                         TUMOR STEM CELLS                                                               Number Of Colonies   Percentage Reduction                                      Cell Lines*                                                                            Control   Treated**  Of Colony Formation                               ______________________________________                                         Daudi   452        8         98.2                                              HL-60   368        6         98.4                                              HS-Sultan                                                                              688       >450       34.6                                              L1210   454        7         98.5                                              BT-20   1500      22         98.5                                              ______________________________________                                          *With the exception of L1210 cells, which are meurine leukemia cells, all      other calls lines originate from human. Daudi cells originate from human       Burkitt lymphoma; HL60 cells originate from human leukemia; HSSultan cell      originate from human multiple myeloma; and BT20 cells originate from huma      breast cancer.                                                                 **Concentration of 40 ug/ml was used of the preactivated therapeutic agen      derived from MC 540.                                                            BT-20 cells were treated with two doses of 80 ug/ml of preactivated           therapeutic agent derived from MC 540 for 24 hours each prior to the           clonogenic assays.                                                       

EXAMPLE IX

Effect of pre-activated therapeutic agents derived from benzoporphyrin derivatives and Methylene Blue on the survival of tumor cells were determined. Results presented in Table 9 show that of the four Diel-Alder adducts of protoporphyrin tested, the mono-acid derivative of ring A (MAA) yielded the most potent resultant pre-activated therapeutic agent. At a final concentration of 400 ng/ml, it killed about 90% of the Daudi tumor cells, originated from human Butkitt lymphoma.

Data presented in Table 9 show that the pre-activated therapeutic agent derived from Methylene Blue was also a very potent anti-tumor agent. At a final concentration of 10⁻⁵ M, it eradicated about 96% of the H-69 tumor cells originated from human small cell lung carcinoma.

                  TABLE 9                                                          ______________________________________                                         EFFECT OF PRE-ACTIVATED THERAPEUTIC AGENTS                                     DERIVED FROM PHOTOACTIVE COMPOUNDS BENZO-                                      PORPHYRIN DERIVATIVES AND METHYLENE BLUE                                       ON TUMOR CELL SURVIVAL                                                                  Activated  Concentration                                                       Photoactive                                                                               Of Activated                                               Cells    Compound   Photoactive Compound                                                                            % Kill                                    ______________________________________                                         Daudi    MAA         50 ng/ml        <10                                                           100 ng/ml        <10                                                           200 ng/ml        60                                                            400 ng/ml        90                                                 MAB         50 ng/ml        35                                                            100 ng/ml        63                                                            200 ng/ml        30                                                            400 ng/ml        66                                                 DAA         50 ng/ml        <10                                                           100 ng/ml        20                                                            200 ng/ml        26                                                            400 ng/ml        26                                                 DAB         50 ng/ml         7                                                            100 ng/ml        20                                                            200 ng/ml        29                                                            400 ng/ml                                                  H 69     MB         10.sup.-4 M      99.8                                                          10.sup.-5 M      95.8                                      ______________________________________                                          The benzoporphyrin derivatives were synthesized from protoporphyrin and        involving the formation of DielAlder adducts followed by acid hydrolysis.      Four components, mono and diacid derivatives of either ring A or ring B        fused porphyrins were obtained: Monoacid derivative of ring A (MAA);           monoacid derivative of ring B (MAB); diacid derivative of ring A (DAA);        and diacid derivative of ring B (DAB). The methodology has been reported       and is hereby incorporated by reference. J. S. Panka, A. R. Morgan, and D      Dolphin, J. Org. Chem. 51:1094-1100 (1986).                                    The benzoporphyrin derivatives (MAA, MAB, DAA, DAB) were activated by          irradiation with 690 nm laser light for 20 minutes at 150 m Watts prior t      being brought into contact with cells. Methylene Blue (MB) was activated       by exposure to 630 nm laser light for 25 minutes at 200 m Watts prior to       being brought into contact with cells. Aliquots of preactivated                photoactive therapeutic agents were added to 1 ml of cells and incubated       overnight. The next day, .sup.3 Hthymidine uptake was carri ed out and         incorporation was determined after 24 hours of incubation.               

EXAMPLE X

Effect of pre-activated therapeutic agent derived from benzoporphyrin derivatives on the survival of bone marrow cells was determined. Normal human bone marrow cells were treated with various doses of pre-activated therapeutic agent so prepared, and the viability of cells were determined by Trypan Blue dye exclusion method. It is seen from data presented in Table 10 that these pre-activated agents were relatively non-toxic to normal human bone marrow cells.

                  TABLE 10                                                         ______________________________________                                         EFFECT OF PRE-ACTIVATED THERAPEUTIC AGENT                                      DERIVED FROM PHOTOACTIVE COMPOUNDS                                             BENZOPORPHYRIN DERIVATIVES ON SURVIVAL OF                                      NORMAL BONE MARROW                                                             Concentration Of                                                                              Activated Benzoporphyrin Derivative                             Activated Benzoporphyrin                                                                      Used - Percent Survival                                         Derivative     MAA     MAB      DAA   DAB                                      ______________________________________                                          50 ng/ml      79      47       82    98                                       100 ng/ml      68      32       66    86.05                                    200 ng/ml      46      22       58    73.27                                    ______________________________________                                          The benzoporphyrin derivatives used herein are listed in TABLE 9.              Activation of benzoporphyrin derivative was accomplished by irradiation        with 690 nm laser light at 150 m Watts for 20 minutes prior to being           brought into contact with cells. Bone marrow cells were treated with           various doses of activated benzoporphyrin derivatives and viability of         cells determined.                                                        

EXAMPLE XI

The toxicity of cytoxicity of benzoporphyrin derivatives to normal bone marrow cells in the dark was determined. This experiment was performed to determine the inherent toxicity of benzoporphyrin derivatives. The viability of the bone marrow cells was assayed by the method of Trypan Blue dye exclusion method. Results presented in Table 11 show that the three benzoporphyrin derivatives tested, namely, the mono-acid derivative of ring A (MAA), mono-acid derivative of ring B (MAB), and the di-acid derivative of ring B (DAB), were relatively not cytotoxic to normal human bone marrow cells. The di-acid derivative of ring B (DAB) was the least cytotoxic of the three.

                  TABLE 11                                                         ______________________________________                                         TOXICITY OF BENZOPORPHYRIN DERIVATIVES TO                                      NORMAL HUMAN BONE MARROW CELLS IN THE                                          DARK                                                                                           Benzoporphyrin Derivative Used                                                 Percent Viability                                              Concentration Of                                                                               Of Bone Marrow Cells                                           Benzoporphyrin Derivative                                                                      MAA     MAB     DAA    DAB                                     ______________________________________                                         200 ng/ml       48      67      N.D.*  83                                      ______________________________________                                          The benzoporphyrin derivatives used herein are given in TABLE 9.               Bone marrow cells were incubated in the dark for overnight with desired        concentrations of the benzoporphyrin derivatives and viability was             determined after 24 hour incubation.                                           *N.D. = Not determined.                                                  

EXAMPLE XII

The therapeutic properties of the pre-activated therapeutic agent and the "post-activated" MC 540 were compared. The pre-activated therapeutic agent was prepared in the usual manner in that the activation of the MC 540 with 514 nm laser light was accomplished prior to the pre-activated agent was brought into contact with either normal cells or tumor cells. In the "post-activation" experiment, similar cells were exposed to both MC 540 and 514 nm laser light simultaneously for 24 hours. Hence, in the pre-activation experiment, the activating agent, the laser light, was agent when cells were treated with the pre-activated therapeutic agent derived from MC 540. In contrast, in the "post-activation" experiment, the activating agent, the laser light, was present when cells were treated with MC 540.

Data presented in Table 12 show that the therapeutic efficacy of the "post-activated" MC 540 and the pre-activated therapeutic agent derived from MC 540 was very similar. Both agents showed low cytotoxicity toward normal cells, yet they both exhibited high cytotoxicity toward human tumor cells.

                  TABLE 12                                                         ______________________________________                                         COMPARISON OF THE EFFECT OF PRE-ACTIVATED                                      THERAPEUTIC AGENT DERIVED FROM                                                 MEROCYANINE 540 (MC 540) AND POST-ACTIVATED                                    MC 540 ON CELL CYTOTOXICITY                                                    Pre-activation.sup.1                                                                            Post-Activation.sup.2                                               Concentration      Concentration                                                                            Light                                             Of                 Of        Energy                                      Cell  Activated   %      MC 540    Density                                                                               %                                    Type.sup.3                                                                           MC 540 In uM                                                                               Kill   In uM     In J/cm.sup.2                                                                         Kill                                 ______________________________________                                         PBL.sup.4                                                                            70.2        10     35.1      93.6   10.0                                 PBL.sup.5                                                                            70.2        10     35.1      93.6   N.D.                                 Daudi.sup.6                                                                          70.2        96     35.1      93.6   99.99                                Daudi.sup.6                                                                          140.4       99     35.1      --      6                                   Daudi.sup.6                                                                          --          --     --        36.2   18                                   HL-60.sup.6                                                                          70.2        98     35.1      93.6   99.99                                HL-60.sup.6                                                                          --          --     35.1      --      8                                   HL-60.sup.6                                                                          --          --     --        93.6   20                                   ______________________________________                                          .sup.1 In the preactivated experiment, the preactivated therapeutic agent      was derived from MC 540 by irradiating MC 540 with 514 nm laser light for      about 15 minutes prior to being brought into contact with cells. Cells         were treated with preactivated therapeutic agent derived from MC 540 for       24 hours.                                                                      .sup.2 In the postactivated experiment, cells were exposed to both MC 540      and laser light at 514 nm simultaneously for 24 hours.                         .sup.3 PBL = Normal human peripheral blood lymphocytes. Daudi cells            originated from human Burkitt lymphoma, HL60 cells originated from human       leukemia.                                                                      .sup.4 Cell kill was determined by Trypan Blue dye exclusion method.           .sup.5 Cells were stimulated with phytohemagglutinin (PHA) before additio      of .sup.3 Hthymidine. Cell kill was determined by .sup.3 Hthymidine            incorporation method.                                                          .sup.6 Cell kill was determined by .sup.3 Hthymidine incorporation method                                                                               

EXAMPLE XIII

Effect of buthinine sulfoximine (BSO), a chemomodifying agent, on the therapeutic efficacy of pre-activated therapeutic agent derived from MC 540 was determined Results in Table 1 have shown that tumor cells originating from human multiple myeloma were not very sensitive to the action of the pre-activated therapeutic agent derived from MC 540 activated by 514 nm laser light. Yet, results collected in Table 13 clearly show that BSO, which was non-toxic to the tumor cells by itself, significantly enhanced or synergized the therapeutic activity of the pre-activated therapeutic agent derived from MC 540. After being pre-treated with BSO, tumor cells, which were initially not very sensitive to pre-activated therapeutic agent derived from MC 540, were almost totally eradicated by the same pre-activated therapeutic agent.

                  TABLE 13                                                         ______________________________________                                         EFFECT OF CHEMOMODIFYING AGENT, BUTHIONINE                                     SULFOXIMINE (BSO), ON THE KILLING OF MYELOMA                                   CELLS BY PRE-ACTIVATED THERAPEUTIC AGENT                                       DERIVED FROM MEROCYANINE 540 (MC 540)                                                                Concentration Of                                                 Concentration Of                                                                             Activated                                                Cells   BSO In mg/ml  MC 540 In ug/ml                                                                              % Kill                                     ______________________________________                                         HS-Sultan                                                                              --            --             0                                         (control)                                                                      HS-Sultan                                                                              --            40            31                                         HS-Sultan                                                                              1             --             0                                         HS-Sultan                                                                              1             40            99.7                                       ARH 77  --            --             0                                         (control)                                                                      ARH 77  --            40             0                                         ARH 77  1             --             0                                         ARH 77  1             40            >99                                        ______________________________________                                          Cells were first treated with BSO for 2 hours. They were then washed and       resuspended in growth medium. The preactivated therapeutic agent derived       from MC 540 was then added and the mixture was incubated overnight at          37° C. Cell kill was determined by .sup.3 Hthymidine incorporation                                                                               

EXAMPLE XIV

Pre-activated therapeutic agent derived from either MC 540 or DEH, both irradiated with laser light, also exhibited anti-viral properties. Herpes simplex Type I (MacIntyre strain) and vesicular somatitis (VSV) strain was used for the experiment. Different concentrations of the pre-activated therapeutic agent was added to the cell free vital suspensions. Both the treated and control virus suspensions were incubated at 37° C. After 24 hours of incubation, aliquots of virus suspensions were inoculated for plaque forming assay. The plaque forming units were counted on day five. Methods of vital studies, such as those disclosed by N. J. Schmidt, In: E. H. Lennette and J. J. Schmidt, eds. Diagnostic Procedures For Viral, Rickettsial And Chlamydial Infections. 5th ed. Washington, D.C. American health Association, 1979:104-110, were employed, and the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein.

Results presented in Table 14 show that the pre-activated therapeutic agent, derived either from MC 540 or from DHE, was an effective anti-vital agent.

                  TABLE 14                                                         ______________________________________                                         EFFECT OF PRE-ACTIVATED THERAPEUTIC AGENTS                                     DERIVED FROM PHOTOACTIVE COMPOUNDS,                                            MEROCYANINE 540 (MC 540) AND                                                   DIHEMATOPORPHYRIN ETHER (DHE) ON HERPES                                        SIMPLEX VIRUS TYPE I                                                           Activated Photoactive                                                          Compound (Concentration      % Kill                                            In ug/ml)         PFU /ml    Of Virus                                          ______________________________________                                         Untreated Control (0)                                                                            1 × 10.sup.5                                                                        0                                                 MC 540* (80)      <1 × 10.sup.2                                                                       >99.9                                             MC 540* (120)     <1 × 10.sup.2                                                                       >99.9                                             DHE* (25)         1 × 10.sup.4                                                                        90.0                                              DHE* (50)         1 × 10.sup.2                                                                        99.9                                              ______________________________________                                           PFU = Plague forming unit.                                                    *Pre-activated therapeutic agent derived from the photoactive compound.  

EXAMPLE XV

Effect of pre-activated therapeutic agent derived from MC 540 activated by 514 nm laser light on E. coli was determined. Results tabulated in Table 15 show that the pre-activated therapeutic agent so prepared was also a rather effective anti-bacterial agent.

                  TABLE 15                                                         ______________________________________                                         EFFECT OF PRE-ACTIVATED THERAPEUTIC AGENT                                      DERIVED FROM MEROCYANINE 540 (MC 540) ON                                       E. COLI (ATCC 25992)                                                           Concentration Of Activated                                                                       Average Number                                               MC 540 In ug/ml   Of Colonies    % Kill                                        ______________________________________                                         0*                62.13          0                                             40*               35.57          57.25                                          0**              396            0                                             80**              224            56.56                                         ______________________________________                                          *E. coli suspension was incubated either in the presence or absence of         preactivated therapeutic agent derived from MC 540 in phosphate buffered       saline at 37° C. for 22 hours. After the incubation period, an          aliquot of E. coli suspension was plated in triplicate for cell growth.        Colonies were counted after 24 hours at 37° C. The number given is      an average of triplicate counts.                                               **E. coli suspension was incubated either in the presence or absence of        preactivated therapeutic agent derived from MC 540 in trypticase soy brot      at 37° C. for 8 hours. After the incubation period, aliquots were       plated on blood agar plates. Colonies were counted after overnight             incubation. The number given is an average of triplicate counts.         

EXAMPLE XVI

Synthesis of 3-carboxymethyl-5-carboxymethylamino-2-[4-(3-carboxymethyl-5-carboxymethylamino-2-benzothiazolinylidene) methylbuta-1,3-dien-1-yl] benzothiazolium chloride. A mixture of 4.8 g (20.2 mmol) of 5-amino-2-methylbenzothiazole dihydrochloride and 7.65 g (55.1 mmol) of 2-bromacetic acid were refluxed in 35 ml of cyclobexane for 15 hours. After cooling to room temperature, solution was evaporated to dryness (yield 4 g) and was used crude in the next step. About 3 g (9.5 mmol) of 2-methylbenzothiazolediocetic acid derivative obtained from the previous reaction was refluxed with 1.1 g (8.3 mmol) of 1,3,3-trimethoxypropene in 10 ml of pyridine for 3 hours. After cooling to room temperature, 300 ml of 3 M HCl was added to precipitate approximately 2 g of product as reddish-brown solid. Carbocyanine was collected by filtration, dissolved in 40 ml of 0.5 M NaOH and recrystallized. (Yield 1.5 g)

EXAMPLE XVII

Synthesis of 3-carboxymethyl-2-[4-(3-carboxymethyl-2-benzothiazolinylidene) methylbuta-1,3-dien-1-yl]benzothiazolium bromide. A mixture of 2.54 ml (2.98 g, 20.0 mmol) of 2-methylbenzothiazole and 3.1 ml (3.78 g, 25.0 mmol) of 1-bramopentane were refluxed in 35 ml of cyclohexane overnight (12 hours). Cyclohexane was evaporated under reduced pressure to leave a yellow liquid from which a small amount of low melting crystalline material was obtained. The remaining residue was used for the subsequent reaction with trimethoxypropene without further purification. (Yield about 12 g). Approximately 11 g (38 mmol) of (N-2'-methylbenzothiazolium) acetic acid bromide salt prepared from the previous reaction was combined with 3.96 g (30 mmol) of 1,3,3-trimethoxypropene in 30 ml of dry pyridine and the whole mixture was refluxed for 4 hours. Upon the completion of the reaction, dark slurry was brought to room temperature, acidified with 140 ml of 3N HCl and refrigerated overnight. Filtration of this solution yielded a deep blue solid which was isolated, dried, weighed, and recrystallized from 160 ml of 0.5 M sodium hydroxide.

EXAMPLE XVIII

Cytotoxicity of Carbocyanines Coupled to Matrix Supports. Carbocyanine dyes 3-carboxymethyl-2-[4-(3-carboxymethyl-2-benzothiazolinylidene) methylbuta-1,3-dien-1-yl] benzothiazolium bromide and 3-carboxymethyl-2-[4-(3-carboxymethyl-2-benzothiazolinylidene) methylbuta-1,3-dien-1-yl] benzothiazolium bromide were covalently coupled, or immobilized, to AH-Sepharose 4B beads (40 to 210 um diameter, Pharmacia, LKB Biotechnology Products, Piscataway, N.J.) by the manufacturer's recommended procedure. Briefly, 2 mg of a carbocyanine dye in 50% ethanol H₂ O at pH 4.5, was allowed to react with 1 g (dry weight) of swollen beads in the presence of 0.1 M of N-ethyl-N'-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide hydrochloride (Pharamacia). The mixture was mixed in an end-over end shaker for 24 hours at 4° C. in the dark. Afterward, the uncoupled dye was removed by exhaustive washing with 50% ethanol: H₂ O until free dye could not be detected spectrophotometrically. The resultant therapeutic compositions, namely, the immobilized carbocyanines, were stored in the dark at 4° C. The amount of dye coupled to beads was determined by a standard curve for each dye.

Concentration of 3-carboxymethyl-2-[4-(3-carboxymethyl-2-benzothiazolinylidene)methylbuta-1,3-dien-1-yl] benzothiazolium bromide=5×10⁻⁷ M/bead

Concentration of 3-carboxymethyl-2-[4-(3-carboxymethyl-2-benzothiazolinylidene)methylbuta-1,3-dien-1-yl] benzothiazolium bromide=1×10⁻⁷ M/bead

In this study, the cell surface was shown to be a target for the action of photoactive carbocyanines. Human promyelocytic leukemia cells (HL-60 cell line) were exposed to 10⁻³ M of carbocyanine dye coupled to sepharose beads. In one set of experiments, the mixture of cells and beads was exposed to fluorescent light, cells were washed and allowed to incubate overnight at 37° C. in a CO₂ atmosphere of 5% CO₂ in air. After overnight incubation, the viability of cells was determined by trypan blue dye exclusion. In these experiments, greater than 60% of cells were killed upon exposure to light compared to the untreated cells or cells exposed to native sepharose beads alone. In another set of experiments, native beads and beads covalently coupled with carbocyanine were exposed to light first, then washed and mixed with leukemic cells. After overnight incubation, beads and cells were separated by filtration through a Whatman filter (size 3) that allowed the cells to pass through but retained the sepharose beads due to their large size. The viability of cells was determined by trypan blue dye exclusion method. The beads recovered from these experiments were reused and mixed with fresh HL-60 cells, and the process was repeated. In these experiments, it was observed that light-exposed (pre-activated) beads were capable of at least six "re-uses," or sequential killings, of HL-60 cells with some losses due to interim manipulations. Thus, the therapeutic composition of immobilized carbocyanine killed the HL-60 cells while native sepharose beads were not toxic to these tumor cells. See Table 16.

To demonstrate that free carbocyanine was not released from the beads, two sets of experiments were carried out. In the first, free carbocyanine dye was added to the HL-60 cells; after one hour of incubation, the cells were washed and examined under a fluorescence microscope. Fluorescence emission was observed from all cells, indicating that free carbocyanine could enter the cells. To verify these observations, a second set of experiments was carried out in which cells treated with free and immobilized carbocyanines were washed, and the intracellular contents were extracted and analyzed for free carbocyanine dye by analytical high-pressure liquid chromatography. Results showed that free carbocyanine dye was detectable in cells treated with immobilized carbocyanine dye but only if the beads were being used for the first time. No carbocyanine was detected in any of the subsequent cycling or reuse experiments. These experiments were repeated several times with identical results. The sepharose beads (40 to 210 um diameter) were significantly larger than HL-60 (-15 um) cells. Thus, endocytosis of immobilized compounds was not possible. The concentration of carbocyanine bound to beads was determined from standard curve. Compared to free carbocyanine dye 10-20 ug/ml, the immobilized carbocyanine was 100 to 1000 times more lethal. These experiments demonstrated that immobolized photoactive compounds could be cytotoxic solely by interaction with the cell surface, without entering the cells. Furthermore, sepharose beads containing immobolized pre-activated photoactive compounds retain their therapeutic activities after several cycles of reuse.

                  TABLE 16                                                         ______________________________________                                         CYTOTOXICITY OF PRE-ACTIVATED THERAPEUTIC                                      COMPOSITION CONTAINING CARBOCYANINES                                           COUPLED TO SEPHAROSE BEADS                                                                         % Kill                                                                         of HL-60                                                                       Tumor Cells                                                ______________________________________                                         Control             4.5                                                        Native Beads        5.0                                                        Unactivated Carbocyanine 1*                                                                        15.8                                                       Unactivated Carbocyanine 2**                                                                       10.3                                                       Carbocyanine 1*                                                                1st Use             63                                                         2nd Use             --                                                         3rd Use             77                                                         4th Use             86.3                                                       5th Use             27.7                                                       6th Use             36.8                                                       7th Use             31.2                                                       ______________________________________                                          *3-carboxymethyl-5-carboxymethylamino-2-[4-(3-carboxymethyl-5-carboxymeth     lamino-2-benzothiazolinylidene) methylbuta1,3-dien-1-yl]benzothiazolium         chloride                                                                       **3-carboxymethyl-2-[4-(3-carboxymethyl-2-benzothiazolinyli-dene)              methylbuta1,3-dien-1-yl]benzothiazolium bromide                          

EXAMPLE XIX

Cytotoxicity of 3-carboxymethyl-2-[4-(3-carboxymethyl-2-benzothiazolinylidene) methylbuta-1,3-dien-1-yl] benzothiazolium Bromide Coupled to an Antibody. Carbocyanine 3-carboxymethyl-2-4-(3-carboxymethyl-2-benzothiazolinylidene) methylbuta-1,3-dien-1-yl] benzothiazolium bromide was covalently coupled to anti-cytokeratin monoclonal antibody (Dako Corporation, Santa Barbara, Calif.). This antibody reacts with the Ca. 54 kd protein corresponding to cytokeratin 8 of the Moll catalog. It reacts with all non-squamous epithelium). The antibody and carbocyanines were covalently coupled by mixing the 5 mg of antibody with 5 mg of carbocyanine in 10% ethanol: H₂ O in the presence of 0.1 M of N-ethyl-N'-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide hydrochloride. The unreacted dye was separated from the antibody on a desalting column. The recovered antibody was used in phosphate buffered saline at pH 7.4.

The coupled and uncoupled antibody was incubated with BT-20 breast cancer cells. After 2 hours of incubation at 37° C. in the dark, the unbound antibody was removed by washing the monolayer cells with growth medium and cells were further incubated. After overnight incubation, the viability of cells was determined by trypan blue dye exclusion method. The presence of antibody on the cells was visualized by fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) labelled goat anti-mouse immunoglobin G (IgG) while the BT-20 cells were kept at 4° C. to prevent the internalization of the primary antibody. Table 17 shows the cytotoxic results. The results show that a photoactive compound coupled to an antibody can be activated to produce a pre-activated therapeutic agent.

                  TABLE 17                                                         ______________________________________                                         CYTOTOXICITY OF 3-CARBOXYMETHYL-2-[4-(3-                                       CARBOXYMETHYL-2-BENZOTHIAZOLINYLIDENE)                                         METHYLBUTA-1,3-DIEN-1-YL]BENZOTHIAZOLIUM                                       BROMIDE COUPLED TO AN ANTIBODY                                                                   Presence of Antibody on                                                  % Cell                                                                               the Cells as Determined by                                               Kill  FITC Labelled 2nd Antibody                                   ______________________________________                                         Uncoupled Antibody                                                                           5       +                                                        (Control)                                                                      Pre-activated Uncoupled                                                                      5       +                                                        Antibody (Control)                                                             Unactivated   15      +                                                        Carbocyanine Coupled                                                           to Antibody                                                                    Pre-activated 50      +                                                        Carbocyanine Coupled                                                           to Antibody                                                                    ______________________________________                                    

From the above examples and tables, it is apparent that the invention has produced effective therapeutic compositions derived from photoactive compounds and conveyors. The present invention has also provided efficient methods for the preparation of these therapeutic compositions. These therapeutic agents produced from the photoactive compounds were shown to be relatively non-toxic to normal human cells, yet they killed tumor cells and other pathogenic biological contaminants readily. The present invention also has produced methods for treating body tissues, which are infected with tumors or other pathogenic biological contaminants, either inside or outside the animal body.

While the present invention has been particularly described in terms of specific embodiments thereof, it will be understood in view of the present disclosure that numerous variations upon the invention are now enabled to those skilled in the art, which variations yet reside within the scope of the present invention. Accordingly, the invention is to be broadly construed, and limited only by the scope and spirit of the claim now appended hereto. 

We claim:
 1. A method of treating (body tissue infected with a tumor or other pathogenic biological contaminants having affinity for, and being susceptible to destruction by a pre-activated therapeutic composition comprising administering an effective amount of a pre-activated therapeutic composition for a period of time effective to destruct the tumor or other pathogenic biological contaminants.
 2. The method of claim 1, being performed in vivo.
 3. The method of claim 1, being performed in vitro.
 4. The method of claim 1, whereinthe tumor is selected from the group consisting of leukemias, lymphomas, lung cancer, and myeloma tumors.
 5. The method of claim 1, whereinthe pathogenic biological contaminant is selected from the group consisting of malaria, trypanosoma, schistosoma, teniasolium, teniasaginata, acanthamaoeba, and echinococcus pathogens, a parasite and a virus.
 6. The method of claim 5, whereinthe virus comprises an envelope-containing virus.
 7. The method of claim 5, whereinthe virus comprises a non-envelope-containing virus.
 8. The method of claim 1, whereinthe body tissue comprises a human body tissue.
 9. The method of claim 8, whereinthe human body tissue is selected from the group consisting of a human body fluid, bone marrow, skin, and cornea.
 10. The method of claim 9, whereinthe human body fluid is selected from the group consisting of whole blood, blood plasma, serum, semen and plasmapheresis fluids. 